Pedum () was an ancient town of

Latium Latium ( , ; ) is the region of central western Italy in which the city of Rome was founded and grew to be the capital city of the Roman Empire. Definition Latium was originally a small triangle of fertile, volcanic soil (Old Latium) on whic ...

in central

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, located between Tibur and Praeneste, near modern Gallicano nel Lazio. The town was a member of the Latin League.

History

Around 488 BC, Pedum was captured by an invading army of the Volsci, led by Gaius Marcius Coriolanus and Attius Tullus Aufidius. In 358 BC, the area around Pedum was occupied by

Gauls The Gauls (; , ''Galátai'') were a group of Celts, Celtic peoples of mainland Europe in the Iron Age Europe, Iron Age and the Roman Gaul, Roman period (roughly 5th century BC to 5th century AD). Their homeland was known as Gaul (''Gallia''). Th ...

, who were subsequently defeated by Gaius Sulpicius Peticus. In 339 BC, a combined force from the Latin cities of Tibur, Praeneste, Velitrae,

Antium Antium was an Ancient history, ancient coastal town in Latium, south of Rome. An oppidum was founded by people of Latial culture (11th century BC or the beginning of the 1st millennium BC), then it was the main stronghold of the Volsci people unti ...

, Aricia, and

Lanuvium Lanuvium, modern Lanuvio, is an ancient city of Latium vetus, some southeast of Rome, a little southwest of the Via Appia. Situated on an isolated hill projecting south from the main mass of the Alban Hills, Lanuvium commanded an extensive view ...

assembled at Pedum. Tiberius Aemilius Mamercus, who was consul at the time, was dispatched to confront this force, but eventually abandoned the effort. During the following year, 338 BC, the consuls Gaius Maenius and Lucius Furius Camillus were sent to finish off the forces at Pedum. While Maenius intercepted the Aricini, Lanuvini, Veliterni, and the Antiate Volsci near the Astura River, Camillus engaged the Tiburtes and Praenestini. Maenius and Camillus regrouped at Pedum and defeated the Latin forces, bringing an end to the Latin War.Livy, ''Ab urbe condita'', 8.13

References

Ancient Italian history Roman towns and cities in Italy Geography of Lazio History of Lazio {{Italy-geo-stub